I’ve been living in my own apartment for the last 6 months now, and if there is one thing that I can confirm about living on your own, it’s that it really is total bliss! I’m genuinely happy to be living out a goal I had set for myself and have enjoyed the process of discovering more of who I am in the comfort of my own space.
With that, however, I have also learned how important it is to cultivate a space that makes me feel good and feels like a sanctuary for me. Living on my own has taught me the incredible value of having a place that I can relax in at the end of a work day, where I can have friends over to host, and to ultimately create a space that is safe and nurturing for me.
Admittedly, a different kind of boundary had to be introduced last year as the global pandemic halted our lives, and working from home became the norm. What was once a place that I would relax and sleep in now also became a place I worked in, and I’ve had to seriously think about how to bring back the sanctuary that is my safe haven while still making it functional for work. But I won’t focus on the “work from home” aspect in this post. I want to share the things that make a happy home. From the furniture and decor I’ve been buying to the activities I’ve taken on, here are some tips to creating a happy home for yourself in 2021.
Create a Relaxation Station
Trust me when I say that you want a space that feels as relaxed as you can possibly make it. Your home should feel like a safe haven for your, where you can drop the worries of the world and sink into your space to go “Ahhhhhh!”
Creating a happy home shouldn’t include having a space that you don’t actually want to be in. In fact, you should look forward to being in your space because of the peace and relaxation that it provides you. So, how can you do just that?
A few ways to do this include:
- Getting scented candles
- Buying reed diffusers
- Adding plants, flowers or succulents (which can help improve your mental health, as researched by trees.com)
- Including art on walls or bedside tables
While these are smaller, decorative items that you can purchase, if you’re looking for something bigger, invest in high-quality bedding and blankets, feather-filled pillows or fluffy rugs. These were some of the bigger items that I bought and didn’t want to compromise on so much because I know the importance of having these quality items that can add to creating the ideal space for me.
Light it Up!
I’m blessed to be living in an apartment that provides beautiful, natural lighting into both my living room and bedroom. This isn’t just good for making my space look light and airy, but sunlight quite literally has a link to one’s happiness. Exposure to sunlight is has been known to help increase the brain’s release of a hormone called serotonin (which is linked to boosting your mood and helping you feel happy).
If you can, buy lace or sheer curtains for window treatments if you, like me, aren’t a fan of blockout curtains. I’m also a fan of candles for the winter when sunlight is low. A style tip I picked up while watching some YouTube videos is to buy mirrors as a way of reflecting light into a space – this is something that you can also try.
Make it Your Own
When I moved into my apartment, it was a blank canvas and I’d drafted up a number of mood boards for what I wanted my space to look and feel like. Because if there is one thing you should know about creating a happy home for yourself, it’s that it should reflect the inner happiness that resides in you!
After watching countless YouTube videos on apartment makeovers, and taking online quizzes to find out what my interior design style was, I thought that Bohemian, Mid-Century Modern and Modern Farmhouse where the design aesthetics I wanted for my space. Especially since the Modern Farmhouse style was a big trend in kitchens for most of 2020, I thought this was something I wanted to jump on. And I was right, and realised how much I love the style for my kitchen but not so much for everywhere else in my apartment.
Styling my apartment has been one big personal development project for me as I’ve realised that not every trend works for me, or provides the feel of happiness that I want my space to exude. So, if you see that you aren’t in favour of the latest design trends, that’s fine, because at the end of the day, this is your home and it needs to make YOU happy. So style it that way by:
- Adding your own photos
- Creating your own original art
- Doing DIY decor projects
- Refurbishing old items
Have Happiness Habits
You know the saying “Do more of what you love?” Well, let’s apply that when creating your happy home.
Something that makes me happy at home is starting my day with a hot beverage. It used to be coffee, and it still is, but I’ve recently been starting my day with a hot cup of rooibos tea. No sugar or milk. It feels like a clean cleanse for my body and I’m not feeling a rush from caffeine. I’ve also got a Gratitude and Reminder journal that sits on my bedside table. It helps to have it there so that when I wake up or before I go to sleep, I write in it (which has been beneficial in embodying a more happy feeling).
Another habit I take for granted is the simple act of making my bed. It takes less than 5 minutes to do and I’m forever lazy to do it, but it’s a habit I’m trying to break because I want to ensure that I have a clean and tidy space all the time.
In essence, this is about creating a habit of putting a space back to normal before you leave. Whether you’re cooking in the kitchen or your skincare routine in the bathroom, try put products back in their place before leaving the space. I promise, the happy feeling you’ll get of having a clean space because of the habit you’ve created of putting things away is worth it.
Add More Positivity
This is a tip that I mean literally. You can fill your home with objects that add positivity into the space. Whether it’s incense, candles or frames with positive quotes in them as art.
Another way that you can incorporate more positivity into your home is by starting with yourself and learning to be more of a positive person. Start your day with positive thoughts when you get out of bed, give yourself compliments whenever you see yourself in the mirror, or reduce the negative language you use throughout the day. It might sound like a random tip and thing to do, but it genuinely helps to increase the positive talk in your space to have a more happier home.
I hope this post helps you in creating a happier home for yourself. Let me know if you have your own tips and what you’ve done to make your space a happy one.
Khalipha Ntloko 